Bonus 4

Play date groups never knew what to do with Chanyeol. He had joined a few so far, at first because he wanted Hojun to learn how to interact and be more social, and now because the little boy demanded entertainment after preschool.

Despite having very good times in most of them, it was very awkward the first few times Chanyeol attended. He was always the only alpha, not to mention male alpha. As soon as he arrived, the atmosphere in the room became tense, especially between the omegas. Chanyeol couldn’t blame them. The groups’ intention was not only for their babies to socialize, but also for the young parents to connect and talk freely about their struggles. Having an alpha listening to them while they talked about private matters like their bodies, their mates, or their feelings was uncomfortable. Like there was someone supervising them.

“Uhm, hello, sir?” said a young male omega upon answering the door. He was petit, and had slightly wavy brown hair and cute small eyes.

“Hello, I’m Park Chanyeol,” the alpha said. He was holding Hojun’s hand, who was carrying a bag of cookies to share with the group. Chanyeol was so tall, he had to lean a bit to the side to be able to actually hold his son’s little hand. Normally he preferred to carry him or put him in the stroller, but Hojun refused to use it lately, claiming he was a big boy and could walk on his own.

The omega seemed a bit confused. “Oh... Hi.”

“And this is Hojun,” said Chanyeol with a smile. “Junnie, say hi.”

Hojun waved up at omega. “Hiiii! I brought cookies!” he offered the bag with a bright smile.

“Hi, and thank you,” replied the shorter, taking the cookies. “I’m Lee Jihun, the group’s organizer. Uhm,” he cleared his throat and looked to the floor. “Sir, I’m not sure if you knew, but all parents must stay present during the playdates.”

“Oh, I know, I’m planning to stay.”

“A-ah... Alright then. Please, come in.” Jihun moved aside to let them pass.

“Is this your house? It’s very nice.” Chanyeol let go of Hojun’s hand and regarded the living room, it was large, furnished with cozy sofas. All twelve parents and their children fit comfortably. There were colorful play mats and toys on the floor, and Hojun rushed over there.

“It is.” Jihun said with a small smile. “Could you please introduce yourself to everyone? We hadn’t had a new member in a while.”

Chanyeol cleared his throat, quickly catching the attention of the other ten members of the group. There were four other omegas, besides Jihun, and six betas. All of them gaped at the sudden alpha with different degrees of astonishment as he greeted them.

“Please, go ahead and sit wherever you like, Mr. Park, and call me if you need anything,” Jihun said.

“Don’t call me mister.”

“Sorry,” a small bow of his head, “Chanyeol,” Jihun blushed after saying his name. It wasn’t surprising, normally it took time for an omega to talk informally to an alpha who wasn’t part of his family, but Chanyeol liked to rush the familiarity and avoid some of the awkwardness. He discreetly took a whiff of the small omega. There wasn’t any dominant scent on him. Strange.

The parents gathered in smaller groups, watching as the kids played. Hojun was currently building a castle with blocks with two little girls. Chanyeol watched with an amused smile as Hojun tried to tell them what to do. He guessed his dominance was rubbing off on him a little, like Baekhyun said.

“Chanyeol, would you like a scone?” offered Jihun, carrying a tray. He had crossed the room to serve him first.

Chanyeol nodded. “Thank you.”

Once he was done giving out the snacks, Jihun came back to sit in the same sofa as Chanyeol, leaving a good distance between them. “Do you mind if I sit here?” he asked in a low voice.

“Sure, I thought everyone was avoiding me. I mean, do I stink or something?”

Jihun chuckled. “Not at all, but it’s not every day an alpha comes to a playdate.”

“Guess it’s not.”

“Is your mate coming to the next one?”

“Nope. You'll have to endure me.”

Jihun bit his lip. “I apologize for being so forward but... May I ask... What happened to them?” he asked, his eyes big and sad.

Chanyeol arched a brow. “...To who?”

“Your mate. Did they... pass away?”

Chanyeol laughed awkwardly. “Wh